A train-information managing apparatus can collect and manage state data of devices mounted on cars of a train and individually control the operations of the devices.
The train-information managing apparatus generally includes central apparatuses and terminal apparatuses. The central apparatuses are mounted on a head car and a tail car of the train. The terminal apparatuses are respectively mounted in the other intermediate cars. The central apparatuses and the terminal apparatuses are connected to each other by a trunk transmission line disposed among the cars. The central apparatuses and the terminal apparatuses collect and manage state data of the devices in the cars on which the apparatuses are respectively mounted. The central apparatuses and the terminal apparatuses transmit and receive the collected to state data through inter-car communication via the trunk transmission line and share the data with each other. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a configuration example in which a central apparatus is mounted on a head car of a train and terminal apparatuses are mounted on the other cars.
The central apparatuses are connected to a master controller and transmit, to the terminal apparatuses, control information (e.g., power running notch information and brake notch information) input from the master controller. The terminal apparatuses transmit the received control information to control target devices. The control target devices operate according to the received control information.
Specifically, the central apparatuses transmit the control information to the terminal apparatuses at a fixed cycle (e.g., a cycle T1=200 msec). On the other hand, the terminal apparatuses need to receive the control information transmitted from the central apparatuses in order and carry out control in that order. For example, when respective kinds of control information are transmitted from the central apparatuses in the order of deceleration 8 notches, deceleration 2 notches, deceleration 1 notch, and acceleration 1 notch, the terminal apparatuses need to receive these kinds of control information in this order and carry out control indicated by the control information in this order.
In the conventional train-information managing apparatus, for example, to enable the terminal apparatuses and the central apparatus in the tail car to receive control information, which is transmitted by the central apparatus in the head car in order, in the order of the transmission, the central apparatus in the head car transmits transmission data with serial numbers given thereto. As the serial numbers, for example, 1 to N (N is a natural number larger than 1) can be used in an ascending order and cyclically. For example, when the central apparatus in the head car transmits respective kinds of control information in the order of deceleration 8 notches, deceleration 2 notches, deceleration 1 notch, and acceleration 1 notch, the central apparatus creates transmission data in which a serial number “1” is given to the control information of the deceleration 8 notches, creates transmission data in which a serial number “2” is given to the control information of the deceleration 2 notches, creates transmission data in which a serial number “3” is given to the control information of the deceleration 1 notch, and creates transmission data in which a serial number “4” is given to the control information of the acceleration 1 notch. Consequently, the reception side can check the transmission order set by the transmission side and carry out control without causing a reversal of the order.